Worker screening for participants

An NDIS worker screening check is where a State or Territory worker screening unit assesses an NDIS worker and decides if they are ‘cleared’ or ‘excluded’ from working with people with disability.

NDIS participants who are self-managed or plan-managed can improve safety and peace of mind by choosing workers who have an NDIS worker screening clearance.

Participants and worker screening

As a self-managed or plan-managed participant, you can choose to be supported by: unregistered providers who have no legal requirement to make their workers get an NDIS worker screening clearance NDIS workers who don’t have an NDIS worker screening clearance.

While there is no rule that says a worker needs to have an NDIS worker screening clearance before they support you, you have the right to only accept workers with a current clearance.

The NDIS Commission recommends you do this to enhance your safety, wellbeing, and peace of mind.

This includes workers:

you employ directly
who are working for an unregistered provider.

Workers who are working for a registered NDIS provider will already have a current clearance.

How do I make sure my workers have a current NDIS worker screening clearance?

If you employ workers directly, you can:

only hire workers that already have and NDIS worker screening clearance
check if your current workers have a clearance, and if they don’t, you can:
- ask the worker to apply for a clearance, or
- stop using that worker.

If the workers are employed by an unregistered provider, you can:

use providers that require all their workers to have an NDIS worker screening clearance, or
request that your provider only has screened workers supporting you.

If you check a worker or ask them to apply for a clearance, you will need to use the NDIS worker screening database.

Get access to the NDIS worker screening database (NWSD)

The NDIS Worker Screening Database is a national register of all NDIS workers who have completed or applied for the NDIS Worker Screening Check. After each worker is assessed, the database is updated with their details and their ‘cleared’ or ‘excluded’ status.

When you require your workers to have an NDIS worker screening clearance, you will use the database to:

identify the NDIS workers that work for you
check and monitor the clearance status of those workers
confirm the workers who’ve applied for a screening check and nominated you as their employer.

Apply for access

Participants need to apply for access to the ‘Self-managed participants portal’ to use the worker screening database.

Apply for access to the database
The last step in these instructions will generate an email with a link and instructions to finalise your access application.
If that link expires or doesn’t work, follow the instructions in Finalise access to the database once your application has been approved
Log in to the NDIS worker screening database once your access has been finalised

If you already have access to the portal, you can log in by using the button below. You can also log in to the portal through the menu at the top right of this screen.

Self-managed participants portal

Identify the workers you employ

Before you check the NDIS worker screening status of a worker, they need to be linked to you as an employee. You can only link workers that have already applied for a worker screening check.

Link or unlink a worker – you will need the workers last name and their Working Screening ID or Application ID.
Once they’re linked, you can see their worker screening status on the ‘My workers’ page. The status will be one of the following:

Clearance – the worker has a current clearance
Pending – the worker has applied but a decision hasn’t been made
Interim bar – the worker has applied but must not work with people with disability while waiting for the decision
Exclusion – the worker must not work in specific roles with people with disability
Suspension – the worker must not work with people with disability while their clearance is being reassessed
No valid clearance – the worker doesn’t have a clearance.

An NDIS worker screening clearance can expire or change to excluded or suspended. You can periodically check your workers to make sure their clearance is still valid.

Guide a worker to apply for an NDIS worker screening check

If they apply for a clearance, you’ll be part of their application process.

The worker needs to identify you as their employer in their application. They will need to add your ‘Participant worker screening ID’ number to their application.
If they are entering your employer ID, you can find it to provide to the worker, using either:

Once they’ve applied online, you’ll need to verify that you intend to employ them to provide NDIS supports and services using Verify a worker screening check.

Workers need to pay a fee to get their worker screening check. Only ask a worker to apply and give them your Participant worker screening ID if you’re genuinely intending to employ them.

Expiry of worker screening checks

An NDIS worker screening check is valid for 5 years. When a worker is linked to you in the Self-managed participants portal, you’ll receive a notification when their worker screening check is expiring soon.

See View requests and notifications in the portal inbox: participants for instructions on accessing your notifications.

For more information see Renew your NDIS worker screening check.